Oh What a Lovely War – Southwark Playhouse

The cast of Oh What a Lovely War at Southwark Playhouse, London. Picture: Alex Harvey-Brown

Oh What a Lovely War continues at Southwark Playhouse, London until 9 December 2023.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Joan Littlewood’s ground-breaking, devised show which satirised the absurdity and obscenity of war, roundly condemned the officers who gave the orders, issued relentless, chilling statistical reminders of the horrifying scale of the casualties and wrapped it all up in commedia dell’arte and songs from the First World War.

Normally it’s done with a sizeable cast so that you get chorus numbers and lots of cameos. In this production it’s entirely in the hands of just six actors, all actor-musos, most of them recent graduates of Rose Bruford College’s actor-musician degree, the leaders of which are going to be delighted with this show and the quality work their alumni are turning out.

Rarely have I seen so much talent in a small space and never have I seen six actors work so hard, although – with commensurate professionalism – they make it look effortless.

The energy level is phenomenal as they leap on and off instruments which they play with warmth and enviable competence, whether it’s an Irish jig or a poignant lament.

And, because this sextet plays every role there’s some terrific voice work. Harry Curley in particular, gives us Scots, Irish, officer-heightened RP and an extraordinary, very funny turn as an incomprehensible sergeant-major – as well as playing percussive double bass so well that I presume he gigs in a jazz band in his spare time.

Tom Crabtree – almost unbelievably in his first professional job – is good at accents too, especially when he becomes a German, sings well and my goodness he’s a whizz on the trumpet, trombone and bugle. He plays ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’ with show-stopping anguish while Euan Wilson (stunning as the heartless, blinkered officer and many other roles) plays a strange discordant counter-melody underneath on clarinet to connote the anguish and horror which underlies the bombast and sentimentality.

The musical arrangements for this show are by Tom Neill and he’s done a fine job as has MD Ellie Verkerk.

Alice E Mayer is spectacularly versatile, flirting with the audience, dancing seductively, becoming a terrified soldier and playing a lot of piano, accordion and percussion. And she excels at all of it. So does Chioma Uma who also plays piano and does an entertaining turn as an earnest Suffragette as well as several fearful young men.

Christopher Arkeston, the boss of the circus which forms the backdrop, is strong too – good self-accompanied solos with guitar or ukulele and impressive use of voice.

The show ends with ‘And When They Ask Us’ – sung unaccompanied by the whole cast – and it’s tragically beautiful. It’s written in close harmony and you can hear every note from these six performers who aren’t using radio mics and are evidently very skilled at listening to each other.

Directed by Nicky Allpress, this rich production from Blackeyed Theatre Company is one of the best shows I’ve seen in months. See it if you possibly can.

Susan Elkin